Nature on your doorstep in October

We have reached 1000 iNaturalist entries which is a fabulous achievement!

It’s joyful to see the entries coming in and so exciting to see our map beginning to fill out. Thank you.

Our photo of the month is a stunning bug with the wonderful name ‘Complex Platycheirus scutatus.’ Biggest thanks to Alexis for spotting and submitting it. Check it out on our webpage:
https://www.reap-leeds.org.uk/projects/neighbourhood-nature

THIS MONTH'S CHALLENGE IS A TOUGH ONE:
~To capture a picture of at least one mammal!

~ But now that the evenings are drawing in, I’m also extending an additional invitation to you - to set aside an hour to do absolutely nothing except sit in your garden / balcony / a safe green space at twilight, and watch to see - and hear - what is sharing it with you. You might see a fox, hedgehogs, bats, even a deer… or you might simply enjoy sitting and listening and watching nature in a way we don’t normally do.

THIS MONTH'S TIP IS:
~ Make sure your garden has easy access for hedgehogs. A CD sized hole is all a hedgehog will need to get into your garden and start eating the tasty beetles, slugs and worms thriving in your long grasses or wildflower patch. We know there are local populations of hedgehogs - but we don't know how joined up these populations are. And one of the major challenges they face is being unable to access our gardens.

FIVE FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT BRITISH MAMMALS:
~ There are around 101 species of mammals in the UK, and 49 of these are native - including 16 species of bats. But 1 in 4 of our mammal species are at risk of extinction, and our urban green spaces are becoming more and more important for many of them.

~ One of our smallest mammals - which we have in NE Leeds - is the pipistrelle bat, which weighs about the same as a 20p coin. In a single night, one of these tiny bats can eat 3000 insects and travel up to 5km.

~ Another tiny local mammal, the harvest mouse, weighs just 4-6g. The fabulous Rodley Nature Reserve, just round the Ring Road from us, hosts a long running harvest mouse introduction project.

~ Adult hedgehogs have approximately 5000 - 7000 spines and can travel several miles each night. The females often have two litters during the year and the second is often born in October- please be super careful with leaf-litter and bonfires as that’s often exactly where they will nest.

~ Foxes have extraordinary hearing; they can hear earthworms underground! (Earthworms are important part of their diet).

THIS MONTH'S LINK IS TO:
~ The Bat Conservation Society’s Sunset Survey https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme/getting-started/sunset-survey. It runs until the end of October.

This is an ideal survey for you if you’ve never surveyed for wildlife before. You don’t need to know anything about bats; you simply need a print out from the website linked above, a pen, and an hour at sunset or before sunrise; and your friends or family can join in. And if you want to discover more about bats, there's our very own local West Yorkshire Bat Group https://www.westyorkshirebats.org.uk/

If you've not already done so, do take a look at our developing N E Leeds map on iNaturalist. You might want to plan a wander somewhere with fewer entries to date :)

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